Fairmont Grand Del Mar

Amazing grounds, wonderful top notch service, Just proposed to my fiancé, couldn’t have been more magical.

Amazing accommodations here at The Manor. The grounds are impeccably landscaped, the service is phenomenal and each staff member is not only attractive and attentive, but genuinely kind. This is the definition of a 5 Star hotel. Bravo.

This place was amazing! You can either self-​park or valet. You walk in to the most beautiful bouquet of the most fragrant flowers. Checking in is super easy, you’re escorted to your room. We were greeted with desert and champagne as we were celebrating an anniversary. We had a room with terrace to the spa pool, that has a gate so you can walk straight to the pool. The room itself was gorgeous, with a bathtub that you can practically swim inside. The soap/​shampoo/​conditioner smelled like heaven. The bed was so comfortable. Everyone at the hotel is so helpful. When you go out to use the pool, the attendant adds a towel cover to the lounge seat, and a towel rolled as a pillow. You’re immediately asked if you would like food or drink. I was a clumsy fool, and spilled my tray so the attendant immediately brought out replacement food, and cleaned my mess. I kept singing «be our guest» in my head the entire time because people were over the top helpful and accommodating. The spa was absolutely wonderful, and I had the best service. We did have trouble with a movie we ordered in our room that kept freezing, but they took it off the bill immediately. There is room service twice a day, and they do a superb job!
Cons: I wish the bill was easier to read, the charges are split up in a very odd way, so it is difficult to tell what has been charged. This was important, as we were charged for valet that we didn’t use, and it took me awhile to catch it. They did immediately remove the charges.
The food at Amaya was pretty hit or miss, but they did remove the charges for the lunch that I didn’t like.
When we first arrived, the attendant took our clothes that we needed laundered for us, without filling out a receipt (which was extremely polite and helpful) however, we didn’t realize that there was a charge for it and we got stuck with a $ 60.00 bill for cleaning a couple of shirts and underpants.
It would be perfect if valet people would give you a ride to self-​parking so you didn’t have to walk. Honestly, that may have been an option and I just never asked for it.

One of my favorite hotels! It’s a pity that Fairmont hotel chain isn’t that widespread compare to the rest of the hotel chains, or I would enroll in its loyalty program for sure.
This place is very elegant, and it brings the customer service to another level. Every corner of the hotel looks absolutely beautiful. The hotel is super clean with no dirt at all. The style of the hotel in general is similar to SPG’s Luxury collection.
I highly recommend you to choose this hotel if it is in your budget range. You can also book some part of the hotel for weddings or some other important events. The villas here are very very expensive, but the rooms are manageable compare to the price of the villas.
My favorite part of this hotel is the swimming pool with the jacuzzi. I can make myself stay in the swimming pool, and then relax in the jacuzzi for a whole day without doing anything else. The whole thing is just amazing. The gym here is very big as well. It’s like a small version of 24-​hour fitness with everything included.
This hotel is just gorgeous, enough said.

Just waking up after another stay at the GDM. Even under new ownership, this place still remains as awesome as always.
From staff to grounds to rooms, this place warrants five stars. I’m not effusive in my praise of most places, but GDM is worthy of it. A beautiful place that I’ll keep returning to over and over again.
Thanks, GDM, for making our stay comfortable and enjoyable.

This review is for the «Mother’s Day Brunch». We’ve been to the Grand Del Mar for mother’s day and had previously been extremely pleased. It’s so beautiful there! Regrettably, this past mother’s day was a huge disappointment. The change of ownership must have changed the quality of food and preparation.
It’s awesome that they have such a variety of choices– Breakfast, seafood, kids (at their level),
Dessert.
I started off with breakfast– the pancakes were made in front of me and were light fluffy and yummy. The syrup was in this SUPER tall container that I couldn’t see inside and a little boy was trying to get syrup and the ladle kept coming up empty! I had visuals of him pouring hot syrup on himself… he let me help him. (I’m 4’11 ½ and couldn’t see in the container!) The potatoes were yummy… but, the goat cheese omelet tasted like I was eating a deviled egg. The Elephant garlic potatoes didn’t taste like garlic at all… The Prime rib I received was over cooked and the horseradish sauce was needed more horseradish. (I felt like I had brunch at an old folk’s home that didn’t want to put flavor in the food!)
My sister was the first to say she was disappointed– The pot stickers were bland and cold, the sushi was ok (I couldn’t bring myself to try sushi after that comment) Her chicken was dry. My nephew was just kinda like Meh… My brother in law wasn’t very excited. There really wasn’t ANYTHING that any of us said Hey you have to try this… or I’m going back for more of this…
The servers were nice but, not overly attentive to drinks… more into making sure they cleared plates and refolded napkins. I only had 2 mimosas’ because I finally flagged someone down.
The desserts… SUCH a disappointment… they weren’t labeled very well at all… If you pick up crème brulee… you don’t expect LEMON… where was the vanilla bean? I took a small taste of everything I took and didn’t want to finish ANY of the desserts… I found out they had icecream… who can ruin ice cream… right? Whelp, I got the Chocolate Gellato and Raspberry Sorbet… and they were really tasty!
This brunch was NOT worth $ 108.00 per person. I feel horrible that my brother-​in-​law took us here and later that night we BBQ’d out and had Filet Mignon Kabobs, Veggies and fruit. I smiled while eating and said… wow this was better than our brunch!!!
I would have rather gone to — The Brunch they have at the Casino, El Torito or El Charro.

This review is for the lobby lounge as I was so impressed!
The second I walked into this place I was in shock. The architecture is just absolutely breathtaking. The fact that this place is so secluded and hidden is just precious. It is so elegant and romantic. Valet is extremely friendly and everyone there was just so happy to be there.
We started with drinks and ended up ordering dinner at the lounge. We came here on a Friday evening and there was tons of tables available. The cocktail server got us a romantic spot right infront of the fireplace, it was so cute.
I love that she accommodated my request for chips and guacamole (which is not even on the menu) that was really nice of her. We ordered the burger and the flatbread. While the food did take quite some time (chips and guac did not come out as an appetizer it came with the food which took about 25 minutes) it was still DELICIOUS.
After dinner we took a shuttle to the club which was crowded and had a live band playing at the time. We grabbed more drinks and lounged outside on the patio. There was also another fireplace outside of the club that we got to sit by and enjoy the atmosphere.
The pricing here is reasonable (for the lounge portion) and the people watching is entertainment in itself. Mainly 40 year old’s here just saying… do not come here thinking it is a young adult place. Overall it was amazing and I would love to come back to try the other dining places.

The rooms, service, amenities and setting is spectacular but the service in the bars are less than acceptable. Suspect pricing from one visit to the next only serving exorbitant priced wines is wrong.

Elegant hotel situated amongst the rolling hills north of San Diego.
From the moment you pull up to the front circle and the valet staff greets you, you feel as if you are the only guest there and whatever you desire is simply a request away. Our room was tastefully decorated with a comfy bed and large couch in the sitting area. The bathroom had a large soaker tub and ample dressing /​storage room.
We played tennis and the courts were sunken and tucked away in a scenic back corner by the golf course. Afterward we went to a hotel balcony off the main lobby level to enjoy a glass of wine and watch the sun sink behind the hills.
As a side note, the in-​room coffee maker is amazing! It uses tiny rounded pods and the resultant coffee is foamy and frothy. Wow! Not sure of the brand…
I cannot think of a hotel in which we’ve stayed that surpasses this one.

This is hands down the best Fairmont I have ever experienced, the accommodations are literally the definition of opulence !! The rooms have incredible beds with conversational couches along with executive office chairs at the desk. The bath tub is huge with shutters which can be opened to make the room feel huge. At 550 square feet the room is literally bigger than my first apartment in 1995. It is hard to describe the feeling you have looking at all the attention to detail. It is like someone set out to make haven on earth !
In addition to being an incredible experience it is also an incredible value. Booked through Expedia at $ 350 a night vs. their normal $ 550 !! Best bang for your buck !!

Went here for a work conference. This place was exceptional in so many ways — the atmosphere, the food, and the service were fantastic.
For business meetings, there are a variety of well designed smaller rooms that can hold 10 – 30 people on the very bottom floor. The décor, lighting, and technology access are very good.
The weights in the gym only go up to 45lbs DBs, and there aren’t a lot of weight machines so don’t expect to get a «real» workout here but what they have is fair.
Overall, my 4 night stay was great. It was a little pricey as you would expect, but I felt I received equal value and service commensurate with the cost. I’m just glad the company picked up the tab :-)

Very beautiful hotel. I didn’t stay here but attended a friend’s wedding here last summer. Nice private country club setting with plenty of parking. Quiet relaxing vibe away from the hustle and bustle of the city, yet not too far from Downtown San Diego.

I would give this property TEN stars if I could.
It’s really beautiful. Our room was lovely and perfect. The people were uniformly wonderful, as was the service.
My partner and I were there for a vacation and a very small, quiet wedding (our own!) and we happened to briefly mention this to a member of the staff. When we returned to our room, we had champagne and strawberries waiting for us!
We are frequent Fairmont guests at other locations too, and this is why. Things always go smoothly, there’s always a nice touch, and while it’s obviously not the most budget friendly option in the book, it’s always worth the splurge!

This place lives out five star service and makes it look effortless, which is not easy. It’s become one of our favorite hotels in So Cal. It’s just gorgeous.

My husband had his work reward trip here last year and I felt like a celebrity staying here. Everything from the staff, to the guest rooms (especially the bathrooms!!!) to the spa, to the restaurants it was amazing. My breakfast every morning was so good at Amaya. The pools were beautiful. The Spa was so relaxing I could have stayed there all day. My only complaint, which I clearly didn’t even take a star off for, was for my experience at Club M one night. Although they had a beautiful car to take us over to the club, the music was not what I expected, and it felt kind of odd to be in the golf clubhouse dancing to techno music. Other than that, I would come here every vacation I had if I could! Highly recommend.

The best customer service I have ever received in my life! The spa, resort, and Addison restaurant are simply amazing!

I was really looking forward to staying at the Grand Del Mar on a quick getaway trip to San Diego. Given all the hype, I had high hopes. As others have pointed out, it’s definitely a bit «secluded» (out of the way) so we were hoping there would be lots to do at the resort (though for two young adults without children, this was not the case) —
Pros:
–Attentive and friendly service
–Beautiful and spacious rooms
–Beautiful location with great views
Cons:
–Not enough pool spots at the adult pool — if you’re not out there by noon good luck finding a spot.
–Spotty cell coverage even with Verizon
–No signs for self parking
–We tried all the restaurants/​lounges at the hotel, all were mediocre at best
When I’m on vacation I like to hang out at the pool, especially on hot San Diego days. The adult pool is way too small for a hotel of this size. For this reason I probably wouldn’t return.

Stayed here for Thanksgiving and had the best experience. Before we arrived they asked my three year old little boy’s name and when we arrived they had the most adorable kids travel pillow and personalized cookie waiting for him. They had children’s games on the lawn right outside our bottom floor room, 105, and he had his face painted for the first time. We took him to the explorer’s club and the really nice attendant heard we were taking our son to see «The Good Dinosaur» so he made him an adorable dinosaur toy to take with him. The valet service was amazing! When I called them to get our car the lady on the phone asked if we were off on a family adventure. I told her we were going to the movies and told her what movie. When we got to the valet they handed us printed directions to the movie theatre and the showtimes of the movie we wanted to see. The dinner we had at the Amaya was delicious and they were so sweet to our son giving him any food he wanted to eat and making sure he felt special. Our room was beautiful and I appreciated the hypoallergenic bedding they gave us when we were offered the option. They turned down our bed and put chocolate dipped cookies on our pillows. There’s so much for children to do there between the Explorers Club and swimming pools and our room opened up to a big yard and fountains for our son to play. From the smiling and friendly gate guards to the front desk, babysitters, valet, room service, food and the very special way they treated my son, it was my favorite hotel experience of my life. I have traveled all over the world so saying it’s my favorite hotel really means something. We can’t wait to stay again! Thank you all the staff, you are amazing!

As I sit in my room overlooking the golf course I find my self compelled to leave a review. Every single person that works here whether a maid, valet, front desk, or a top executive, everyone ensures your stay is perfect. I have never felt so taken care of. I will be sharing this experience with all my friends and highly recommending this place.

I think this might be one of my new favorite hotels! My hubby surprised me with a quick weekend getaway!
I love that it’s secluded and away from all the city noise. When we pulled up to the hotel I was worried that we would be dealing with pretentious staff and guests, but that was definitely NOT the case!
After we returned from a nice dinner, I saw that they left a decadent piece of dessert in the room with some sparkling cider. I thought it was a nice touch to add to our already relaxing weekend.
The staff really goes that extra mile for their guests (which they should considering what they charge for a nights stay). Everything was clean and up-​to-​date and I love the quietness of the grounds.
I’m definitely looking forward to a return visit!

We’re local and have been coming to their Afternoon Tea for years (since they opened) to celebrate birthdays and special occasions. However, since this past summer, their tea has been hard to book! Back in August, I called on the morning of, and they said they were full. So this month, I called two days ahead and the woman quickly responded that they were full. My husband saw how perplexed I was, and said, «here, let me try.» He redialed them and said, «hello, we are in town for the weekend and would like to book the tea.» The woman gave us a spot right away!
The sandwiches aren’t as fresh as they used to be. The sweets are beautiful, and the scones wonderful. But all in all, I wish they would treat locals the same. We looked around, and they definitely had available seating.

Really elegant quiet place. Services are second to none. Everyone is super friendly and the food is top notch. Golf wasn’t too difficult. Definitely a playable course without caddy. I rented clubs and they were in great condition. Would definitely come back!

I chose to celebrate my 30^th birthday at the Faitmont over afternoon tea. It was beautiful and magical but only because I shared the experience with my best friend and husband, Josh.
Afternoon tea was a dissapointment. The experience check lists what would be expected from an afternoon tea experience and so does the food; however, everything was only only so-​so. Our server seemed to be having a bad day and also seemed to be hurrying us up — bringing each course (out of 3) a bit too soon for my taste. The library ambience accompanied with a ton of old hardbound books was appreciated; although, I was dissapointed by the fact that the statuates are male (help gender parity, please). The food looked delicious (that’s all I’ll say) and the plate settings and silver ware were beautiful. I didn’t quite understand why they had to sprinkle rose pedals on the table — but okay. My birthday macaroon was appreciated (I’ll give them credit for this gesture).
My favorite thing about the tea was the lemon curd and raspberry preservative spread. I asked if it was made in-​house. The answer was no.
Bottom line: go to tea at the Fairmont for ambiance and not much else. The grounds are gorgeous!

Great place to relax and enjoy all of their amenities.
But the food is terrible and not the kind you should find in a 5 star hotel.
The cent’anni caffe I liked it!
I might come back!

Class all around albeit a little boring for my taste. Celebrated a special occasion here right before July 4 and got put up in a nice suite. To be honest, it was like a really nice room x 2. Like two bathrooms, four sinks, two entry/​exit doors. Basically it would have been perfect for a family of four. The two kids could pull out the sofa bed and set up shop with their own full bathroom (jacuzzi, dual sinks, shower, robes, toiletries for days) while the adults do the same thing in the room over.
Breakfast was okay. I liked my omelet and the mango or fruits or whatever were great. My girl’s waffle was… very, very plain but all good. Super loud and obnoxious family eating by us — can’t be avoided, all good.
Explored the grounds a bit and they were nice but nothing exciting. I’m assuming that is the purpose after all, to chill the hell out. The Fairmont Grand Del Mar is a great place to chill out and just do nothing.
Dug it.

What a beautiful hotel! The Grand Del Mar is a great place for a quiet weekend away. The hotel offers many activities including exercise classes, hiking, golf, tennis, and spa services. They also have a few pools including an adults only pool. If you want to venture off site they have complimentary car service.
The hotel interior and grounds are very well maintained. Staff is so friendly and our driver brought us down to see the mini car museum in the parking garage. The original hotel owner has an amazing collection and it is pretty cool to share it with the hotel guests.
We tried the room service one night and it was alright. I asked for the aioli on the side but they slathered it on the sandwich and also provided a large container of it.

We’re San Diego locals. We buy drinks, food, we’re not loud, we tip well. We’re polite, blend in and «used» to love coming here to sit at the pool. We’ve been coming here for years to eat, catch rays, or hit Club M. Apparently Fairmont doesn’t appreciate those who just love the Grand.
Today a pool gentleman ask us to leave due to guest policy rules. If you do come here, make sure you lie about a room number or use someone’s name. I understand «policy», but please. .we tip for god sake!
The Grand, NOT A PLACE FOR LOCALS.

This is a review regarding the afternoon tea experience we had —
So first, I have to say, the food quality is beyond average. Every piece that we had was full with lots of different tastes and layers. The first course to me was very impressive, we got 4 different types of sandwishes — smoke salmon, cucumber, egg and turkey. Each was individually well-​prepared. (See photos) the second and third layers were presented in a 2-​tier rack. Lots and lots of deliciousness! The pistachio muffin, hmm, that was nutty with good texture. The fruit tart, definately a must-​try — It was almost like the jamy kind of texture but with lots of freshness. The scones were probably the best ones I had (giving that I had tried multiple places and have traveled around the world).
Overall, we are pretty satisfied with the food quality. Not just that, we would definately come back because of their excellent service. The servers constantly checked on us and even brought the kid some toys. Did I mention about the price? At a 5-​star restaurant like this, getting food from here only costs 40 dollars a person! If you ever consider where to spend a good afternoon at, make a reservation 24 hours ahead of time, I guarantee that you will be happy to come here.

I was lucky enough to have a friend staying at The Grand Del Mar. She invited me there and we spent the day lounging poolside. We enjoyed some lunch and cocktails while enjoying the gorgeous weather. The poolside service was pretty slow, but that was the only negative. It’s probably the nicest and most luxurious hotel I have seen in San Diego, hope I can go back and indulge more soon!

This review is for afternoon tea only. This place is ridiculously schmancy, so props to them for letting people self park for free. The tea is apparently usually served in the library, which is charming, but since we had a larger group we were seated out more towards the lobby in a more open area. The setting was matched and elegant and complete with roses and rose petals. We did the $ 40 option because tea was the main attraction (why distract with wine or champagne?). The tea itself was delicious and I only regret that you couldn’t try more than one flavor. First course consists of the finger sandwiches. The presentation of these was excellent and my only complaints with these would be that the bread seemed a bit stale in a couple bites, and they were a little bland. While the sandwiches are dainty, you get 4 or so, so they are reasonably filling. The second and third courses are served together, which to me made it feel like only 2 courses total rather than 3, but ok. I’m usually not a fan of scones, but these were AMAZING. Warm and crumbling like they were fresh out of the oven, they were buttery with just enough sweetness. The lemon curd, preserves, and Devonshire cream they were served with were heaven. I expected the scones to be the least exciting course, but they were actually the tastiest part for me. The desserts were cute and had a good variety, but I would have been thrilled to trade all of them for another scone.
All in all, it was a great experience. They do a good job with the ambiance and the variety of dainties offered, and they kept the teapots full. It was something I would definitely like to do again.

Another fabulous stay on every level. Management’s attention to detail and customer satisfaction shows on every level. You don’t come here for a bargain, but if you’re looking for an exquisite experience then this is the place. The food was superb from the Filet perfectly cooked at dinner to the Grand Burger and Garlic Shrimp Greek Salad by the pool. Both the adult relaxation pool and the kid pool area have their place and perfectly suited for the experience. The golf course is tough, but the fairways and greens are perfectly manicured. The 2 queen bed room was spacious and opulent. Walking the grounds in the morning and at sunset simply puts you at ease. Can’t wait to come back!

Ok had to give them 3 star not 4 because
1. Its wasn’t a separate area for high tea. You could see other people who were staying in the resort just waiting around. One person across from us actually had their feet on the table!!!
2. Low tables kinda awkward
3. Added cost if you want to try a different tea.
4. You serve yourself, adding this comment because at the Dorchester in London you never poured your own tea.
5. Sandwiches were cute but flavor was lacking.
6. Scones were the best i had!!! Beat London scones!
7. Lemon cream for the scones was amazing!!!
8. I got the ambrosia tea which was awesome :)
9. Sweet pastries were disappointing but very pretty.
$ 40 per person
For high tea in san diego i would say this is not the top location but still fun n with great company you will have a great time :)